Interview #81: How to Prioritize Bugs When a Product Release is in 24 Hours?

When a product release is imminent (24 hours away) and there are multiple open defects, including critical defects, the key challenge is making the right trade-offs between quality, risk, and deadlines. The prioritization process must be systematic and data-driven to ensure that the most critical issues are fixed first, without delaying the release unnecessarily.

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Step-by-Step Approach to Prioritizing Bugs

1?? Assess the Criticality and Impact of Each Bug

Not all critical bugs are equally impactful. Categorize defects based on:

Severity: How much damage does the bug cause?

• Critical (S1) – Blocks a major feature, causes crashes, security vulnerabilities, or data loss.
• High (S2) – Major feature impacted, but workarounds exist.
• Medium (S3) – Non-blocking issues, UI glitches, or performance concerns.L
• Low (S4) – Minor UI issues, spelling mistakes, or cosmetic problems.

Business Impact:

• Does the defect affect key functionality that customers rely on?
• Is there a financial, legal, or reputational risk?
• Is the issue visible to end-users?

Frequency of Occurrence:

• Does it happen every time, or only under specific conditions?
• How many users are likely to be affected?

?? Action: Prioritize Critical (S1) and High (S2) defects that impact core functionality and large user groups.

2?? Identify Showstopper Bugs That Must Be Fixed Before Release

Some defects are absolute blockers that make the product unusable or expose the company to major risks. These are non-negotiable fixes. Examples:

? Application crashes on startup

? Payment transactions fail

? Security vulnerability (e.g., data leakage, unauthorized access)

? Critical business workflows (e.g., checkout, login) do not work

?? Action: Escalate these issues immediately, allocate resources, and ensure they are fixed before release.

3?? Discuss Trade-offs with Stakeholders

In a time crunch, collaboration is key. The decision to fix or defer a bug should involve:

• Product Managers (business impact & risk assessment)
• Engineering Leads (feasibility & time to fix)
• QA Team (testing efforts & regression risks)
• Customer Support (potential impact on user experience)

?? Action: If fixing a bug requires a large effort, but the impact is low, it may be better to defer rather than introduce new risks close to release.

4?? Consider Workarounds and Hotfix Plans

Some bugs don’t need an immediate fix if a temporary workaround exists.

• If a bug can be mitigated by changing configurations, disabling a feature, or informing users, it may be postponed.
• For non-critical but high-priority defects, consider a post-release hotfix.

?? Action: If a workaround exists and fixing a bug could cause instability, log it and plan a hotfix after release.

5?? Weigh the Risks of Fixing vs. Not Fixing

Fixing a bug right before release introduces regression risks. Consider:

• How risky is the fix? (Small code change vs. complex refactoring)
• Can the fix be tested quickly? (If not, it might cause unintended issues)
• Will fixing the bug introduce new risks in other areas?

?? Action: If a fix is risky and the issue is minor, document it and address it post-release.

Final Action Plan for the Last 24 Hours

? Fix Only Showstoppers & Critical Bugs:

• Focus on critical, high-impact bugs that affect key functionality.
• Allocate engineers efficiently to fix the most urgent issues.

? Regression Testing:

• Ensure bug fixes don’t break other features.
• Run smoke and sanity tests on key areas after each fix.

? Communicate Transparently:

• Inform stakeholders about what will be fixed, what will be deferred, and any workarounds.
• Prepare a Known Issues List for any non-critical defects.

? Prepare a Hotfix Plan:

• Identify low-priority issues that can be fixed post-release.
• Plan for a patch update if needed.

Conclusion

When release time is short, prioritization is about making trade-offs between urgency, business impact, and risk. The key is to fix showstoppers, communicate effectively, and ensure a stable release.

How would you handle this situation? Share your thoughts! ????